Cutting and flanging attachment



July 17, 1951 H. LANG ETAL 2,560,805

CUTTING AND FLANGING ATTACHMENT Filed June 28, 1949 s Sheets-Sheet 1 11V VEN TOR. HAPPY A. LANG and Pay M GRAVES,

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ATTORNEY.-

y 17, 1951 H. A. LANG ETAL CUTTING AND FLANGING ATTACHMENT ,3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1949 INVENTOR. 1142? A. LANG and J70! M GRAVES,

ATTOZZZVE'YZ July 17, 1951 I H. A. LANG ET AL 2,560,805

CUTTING AND FLANGING ATTACHMENT Filed June 28, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 aeI . "i f Jam I 0 Z, I a5 :3 1%" J dz :2;

L flan i an Mil'oflo INVENTOR.

.4 TTUFNEK Patented July 17, 1951 OFFICE CUTTING AND FLANGING ATTACHMENT Harry A. Lang and Roy M. Graves, Evansville, Ind.

Application June 28, 1949, Serial No. 101,696

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to an attachment for rotary shears and flang'ers, the attachment being of such character as to provide for the cutting or flanging or joggling of metal Sheets to produce contours of desired characteristics. The

invention disclosed'and claimed herein comprises certain improvements upon the invention disclosed and claimed in our co-pending application Serial Number 788,764, filed November 28, 1947 for. Cutting and Flanging Attachment. While the machine disclosed in the said co-pending application is highly effective to perform the stated functions thereof, we have found that, by the adoption of-certain improvements, simplifications and amplifications of the basic concept exemplifiedin the disclosure of the said co-pending application, additional functions and capacities can be conferred upon a machine of the general character of that disclosed in the said co-pending application.

The primary object ofthe invention is to produce an attachment, readily associable with, or removable from, known types of rotary machines, for shearing, fianging, or joggling, which will operate automatically, in conjunction with such a machine, to produce a predetermined contour upon the work piece processed by that machine,

and which is capable, by the substitution or shift .ing of its various parts, of producing a wide variety of such contours. Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, our invention may be embodied in the forms illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however,

that the drawings are illustrative only,- and that change may be made in the specific constructions illustrated and described, so long as the scope of the appended claims is not violated.

Fig. 1 is afragmentary side elevation of a rotary machine of the character above referred to, pro-'- vided with cutting rolls, and showing our attachment associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of our attachment, showing one form of work carrier and co= operating guide devices;

Fig. 3 is a" further enlarged section taken substantially on the line 3; 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the carrier illustrated in Figs; 2' and 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of such carrier; I

Fig. 6 is a plan view similar to Fig. 2, butshowing another form of carrier and modified guide means associated therewith;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a further form of carrier;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of rectangular form of carrier with associated guide elements;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a rhomboidal form of carrier with associated guide elements; and

Fig. 11 is a plan view of an obround carrie with associated guide elements.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that we have illustrated a part of a rotary machine of the character above discussed, indicated by the reference numeral ID. Such a machine provides a work-receiving throat I I behind a pair of spindles upon which may be mounted rolls such as the rolls I2 and I3. In the illustrated embodiment, we have shown joggling rolls, but it will be understood that cutting rolls, flanging rolls, or rolls to perform other similar operations may be substituted for the joggling rolls [2 and [3, in a manner well known to the art.

A guide bed [4, having legs I5, may be associated with the machine ID in a manner well known to the art, such guide bed providing a slideway upon which is mounted the foot IS of a work support 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the guide bed It is provided with a rack I! with which cooperates a pinion suitably journalled on the foot l5 and provided with a crank IQ for adjusting the unit 20 toward and away from the rolls [2 and I3. All of this is standard construction.

The unit 20 ordinarily provides a table 2| upon which is suitably mounted a base 39 having a threaded socket 22 for the reception of a centering pin or guide element 23, having a threaded portion 24, a cylindrical shank, and a hold-down head 25. A work carrier 26 is formed to provide a continuous perimetral surface 21 and a second continuous surface 28 uniformly spaced from the surface 21 in the direction of the center of the carrier 26. The inner upper surface of the carrier is rabbeted, as at 29, for the accommodation of the head 25 of the pin 23, the cylindrical section of the pin shank engaging the continuous surface 28. V

Straps or platform pieces 30 and 32, supporting work-engaging devices, herein illustrated as pins or posts 31 and 33, are suitably secured to the upper surface of the work carrier 26 in such positions as not to interfere with the guide element 23 or with the pins and/or rollers hereinafter to be described.

Suitably fixed to the base 39 is a rectilinear guide abutment 34 whose surface facing the guide element 23 is preferably defined by a series of rollers 35. The perpendicular distance between the cylindrical surface of the guide element 23 and the abutment surface defined by the rollers 35 is substantially equal to the spacing between the guide surfaces 21 and 28 so that, when the carrier 26 is in place, it is confined between the abutment unit 34 and the guide means 23.

At a point spaced from the guide element 23, and upon an axis parallel to the axis of said guide element, a pin 36 projects upwardly from the top surface of the base 39. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, said pin is located upon an arc tangent to the cylindrical surface of the guide element 23 at its radius perperdicular to the surface defined by the rollers 35, and concentric with the major arc of the elliptical carrier 26, the axis of the pin being spaced from the axis of the guide element a distance somewhat less than one-half the length of such major arc. Thus, when the parts are in their illustrated positions, not only the guide element 23, but also the pin 36, will engage the carrier surface 26 to establish a movement path for the carrier.

In the illustrated form of the invention, the pin 36 is guided in a dependent strap 31, and is urged upwardly by a coiled spring 38 confined between the base of said strap and a collar 43 fixed to the pin 36, so that said pin is resiliently depressible.

At a point spaced in the opposite direction from the position of the guide element 23, a pin 4| projects upwardly from the base 39 and carries a roller 42 so positioned as to engage the surface 21 of the carrier 26 in the manner illustrated.

A piece of work 47 being supported upon the carrier 26 and engaged between the rollers l2 and 13, it will be clear that, as said rollers are driven, the work piece will be caused to move past the rollers, and the carrier will be caused to move correspondingly, being guided by the elements 23, 34, 36, and 42. As the short-radius are at the left-hand end of the surface 28 of the carrier 26 approaches the guide element 23, the mouth of a slot 43, opening through the lower surface of the carrier 26 and extending between the surfaces 21 and 28, will approach the position of the pin 36. It will be seen that the surface 2'! will now leave the roller 42. As the mouth of the slot 43 comes into registry with the pin 36, the guide element 23 will enter the short-radius curve above mentioned; and the carrier will begin to rotate, about the axis of the guide element 23, the pin 36 passing through the slot 43 and leaving the interior of the carrier. The roof of the slot 43 is inclined in the manner indicated at 45 in Fig. 3 so that, as the pin passes through the slot, the pin will be depressed against the tendency of the spring 38. This arrangement, of course, minimizes the weakening of the carrier resulting from the provision of slots like the slot 43; but, as will appear hereinafter, such slanting of the roofs of said slots is not essential It will be seen that the slot 43 is formed on an are which, when said slot is in registry with the pin 36, is concentric with the guide element 23.

As the carrier completes its turn about the short-radius curve at its left-hand end, the mouth of a second slot 44, whose roof is oppositely inclined, comes into registry with the pin 36, and the pin passes again into the interior of the carrier 26. It will be seen that the slot 44 is curved as a continuation of that portion of the surface 28 immediately adjacent said slot; so

that, as the pin 36 enters the slot 44, it again begins to cooperate with the element 23 to guide the carrier on its established movement path; and, as the carrier continues to move, the pin 36 again cooperates with the surface 28.

Now, as the short-radius curve at the opposite end of the carrier approaches the element 23, a slot 45, in all respects similar to the slot 43, comes into registry with the pin 36, and the carrier makes another turn about the element 25, the pin 36 again passing outside the carrier. As the carrier completes its turn, the pin reenters the carrier through a slot 46 similar in all respects to the slot 44.

While the structure above described performs satisfactorily on relatively light material, its performance, particularly upon heavy material, can be improved through the use of a carrier of the character generally indicated by the reference numeral 26, and illustrated in Fig. 5. The carrier 26' is formed to provide surfaces 21' and 28, entirely similar to the surfaces 21 and 28, and is rabbeted at 29'. Work-support pieces 36' and 32 carry work-engaging elements 3| and 33; and said pieces are welded to the upper surfaces of the carrier 26 and to a center piece 48 which is formed to provide a continuous surface 49 uniformly spaced from the surface 28', in the direction of the center of the carrier, and by an amount substantially equal to the diameter of the cylindrical section of the guide element 23. The head 25 of said guide element engages not only in the rabbet 26 but also in a corresponding rabbet 50 in the element 48. Additional securing straps 5| are preferably welded to the carrier 26' and to the piece 48. The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 5 operates precisely in the manner above described in connection with Figs. 1 to 4; but its operation is somewhat steadied by the presence of the center piece 48 providing its continuous surface 49 for cooperation with the element 23.

It will be apparent, of course, that the maximum projection of the pin 36 above the base 39 is substantially less than the height of projection of the guide element 23.

In Fig. 6, we have shown a triangular carrier 60 providing a continuous perimetral surface 6| and a continuous perimetral surface 62 uniformly spaced from the surface 6| in the direction of the center of the carrier. The carrier is continuously rabbeted as at 63 for cooperation with the head 25 of the guide element 23.

Straps 64, 66 and 68 carry work-engaging elements 65, 61 and 69, such straps spanning the corners of the carrier in the illustrated embodiment of the invention. A pin 16, spaced from the element 23 in the direction of rectilinear travel of the carrier, likewise engages the surface 62. As the carrier moves in the direction indicated by the arrow, a slot H in the under surface of the carrier approaches registry with the pin 10 as the short-radius curve 12 in the surface 62 approaches the guide element 23. When said curve engages the element 23, the carrier will be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, the pin 16 passing through the slot H to the exterior of the carrier; and the carrier will continue to rotate about the axis of the element 25 until that portion of the surface 6| between the curve 12 and the curve 14, comes into engagement with the guide abutment 34. A slot I3, located as a continuation of that portion of the surface 62 between the curves 12 and 14, passes the pin 10 into the interior of the carrier: and: into: engagementawvith, theisurface 62, as: the carrier continues-to: move past the uide. element: 215;.

Similarly, when; the 1 curve: lkengages the element, 23, a. s1ot'15 Will pass the pin 19 to the exterior of the. carrier, as the. carrier rotates about the axis of the; guide element v2i! with its curve 14 in engagement with said element. The pin Ill-reenters the. carrier; through theslot 16, which isa continuation of that portion of the surface 6.2..between the curves. 14 and 11. As the curve .11 encounters thev guideelement-23, a slot. 19 registers with, the pin to permit said pin once. more to emergefrom thecarrier asithe carrier rotates, upon its curve 11, about the axis of. the element 23'. In its illustrated position, the pin 19 has just reentered the carrier through the slot 18, which is a continuation of that portion of the surface 62 between the curve 71 and the curve12. The slots H, and 19 are, of course, concentric with" the curves 12, "M" and 11', respectively; and they and the'slots 13; HS and 18 may have inclinedroofsor'not, depending upon Whether the pin 19 is mounted resiliently or fixedly;

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. '7 and 8-,- the carrier 89 is provided with a continuous surface 81- and a continuous surface 82 uniformly spaced therefrom in the direction of the center of the carrier, each of said surf-aces having the outline of a semicircular disc. The carrier is -rabbeted as at'83' to accommodate the head 2'5 of the-guide element 23; and will preferably beprovided with a center piece 84 secured in place by astrap 85 welded tothe upper surfaces of" the carrier 89 andto thecenter-piece 84 and supportingworkengaging elements B6 and 81. The center piece 84 provides a continuous surface 89, uniformly spaced from the surface 82 "in thedirectionof the center of the carrier, by an amount substantia-lly equal-l te thediameter of thecylindrical shank of the guide element 23; and said piece is-perimetrall-y rabbeted as at B9 to acccmmodate the head 25-;

A pin 99 is spaced from the guide element 23 in the direction of carrier travel to engage the rectilinear portion 82a ofthe surface 82 throughout the major portion of the travel of the carrier, while the rectilinear portion of its surface 8! is engaged with thegu'ide abutment 34. A second pin 9|, substantially closer to the element 23, is positioned to engage the rectilinearportionof the surface 88 during the major portion of such travel. Spaced. in the opposite direction from'the' element 23 is a pin 92 upon which is mounted: a roller" '93; The; diameters of the pins 90 and 9| are substantiallyfless'than the diameter of the.-cylindrical section of the element 23'; but the diameter of the roller 93 is substantially the same as that of said cylindri cal section; The roller 93 is also somewhat vertically taller than the pins 99 and 9|. During'the-majorportion of the travel of the carrier while the rectilinear portion of its surface 8| engages the abutment 34, the roller 93 engages the rectilinear portions of the surfaces 82 and 8B.

As the carrier moves from its illustrated position in the direction of the arrow, the roller 93 will pass from the interior of the carrier through the slot 94. As the short-radius curve 95 approaches the guide element 23, a slot 96 approaches registry with the pin 99 and a slot 91 approaches registry with the pin 9|. When the guideelement 213engages. theicurve: 95, the carrier will swing, in: av counter-clockwise direction; the pins!!!) and; 9| emerging from the carrier through the slots 96: and. 91-, respectively. Continued rotationofythe carrier causes the pin 9| almost immediatelyv to reenter the carrier through the slot 99, whereafter the pin 9| engages. the long-radius curved portion 92bof the surface82z'to. assist theelement 23; in. the manner indicated in dotted lines, in establishing the movement: path for the carrier. Very promptly thereafter; the long-radius curved portion of the surface 81 comesinto engagement with the roller-93,further to control the movement path of the carrier.

As the short-radius curve l0! approachesthe guide element 23-, the surface 8| leavesythe roller 93, but the pin 91 maintains its contact with the surface 8% until the curve I9! actually engages the element 23. 99 registers with the pin fli'and, as the carrier rotates about its curve HM; the: pin 9.! emerges therefrom through the slot 99;

As the carrier completes its turn, the pin 91 reenters the carrier through. the slot I92; while the roller 93 reenters' the carrier through the slot I90. Now, as the carrier moves rectilinearly,the pin 9El will reenter'the carrier'through the slot [02.

In' Fig. 9, we. have shown a quadrangular carrier H9 having a continuous perimetral' surface H I and a second. continuous surface H2 uniformly spaced from the surface H1 in the direction of the center of the carrier; the upper surfaceof thecarrier being rabbeted as at M3 for cooperation, with the head 25. A strap H4 carrying a work-engaging element H5 spans one corner of: the carrier, while a strap. H6 carrying a work-engagingelement H1 spans an opposite corner thereof;

A pin H8 is spaced'from' the guideelement 25 in the direction of travel of the carrier; for en.- gagementwith the'surface H2. As: the shortradius' curve E29 approaches the element 23; a curved slot H9 approaches registry with the pinlI-B; and as said curve 129 engages the element 23, the carrier. will rotate in a counterclockwise direction thereabout, the pin H8 emerging'from the-carrier through thevslot' H9. As that portion. of the surface. Ill. between the curves I29 and I23- engages the guide Btl, the carrier. WiILonce again move rectilinearly. and the pin H8. will reenter'the carrierthrough the slot I21. Said pin. emerges again through the slot I22, as the carrier turns about, its curve R3, and reenters the carrier through the slot E24 as the carrier once more moves rectilinearly. Similarly, the pin H8 will emerge through the slot 525 as the carrier rotates about its curve I25, will reenter through the slotpl2'l' as the carrier again moves rectilinearly; will emerge once more through the slot 128 asythe carrier rotates about its curve I29; and will again enter the. carrier through the slot lBfias thecarrier lie-approaches its il-lustrated'position.

The structure of Fig. 10 is quite similar to that of Fig. 9. The carrier I40 provides parallel, continuous, perimetral surfaces 14! and I42 and is interiorly rabbeted as at M3. The pin I44 is related to the element 23 much as is the pin H8. As the carrier continues its counter-clockwise rotation about the element 25, which is shown in engagement with the curve M6 in the surface M2, the rectilinear portion of the surface l4! shown to the left of said guide element will en- At that point, a slot gage the abutment 34, whereafter the carrier will move rectilinearly and the pin I44 will enter the carrier through the slot I41, which is a continuation of the adjacent portion of the surface I42. The slot I48 will register with the pin I44 as the curve I49 engages the guide element 23, and the pin I44 will emerge through said slot I48 as the carrier rotates, reentering through the slot I50 as the carrier again begins to move rectilinearly. Similar slots II, I54 and I45 provide for emergence of the pin I44 as the carrier rotates about its curves I52, I55 and I46, respectively; and the pin reenters the carrier through slots I53, I56 or I41 as said curved portions leave the guide element 23.

The obround carrier I10 of Fig. 11 provides continuous surfaces HI and I12, and is rabbeted at I13 for cooperation with the head 25. Straps I14 and I16 carry work-engaging means I and I11.

A pin I18 is positioned in a manner similar to the positioning of the pins I I8 and I44, and, during the major portions of the rectilinear movement of the carrier, will engage the surface I12 to assist in the establishment of the carrier movement path. A slot I19, however, registers with the pin I13 as the curve I80 engages the element 23, the pin I18 emerging from the carrier as the carrier swings in a counter-clockwise direction about the axis of the element 23. Shortly after completion of that turn, rectilinear movement of the carrier will cause the pin I18 to reenter the carrier through the slot IBI to engage the opposite portion of the surface I12, of which the slot I8I is a continuation. Similarly, as the curve I82 engages the element 23, the slot I83 will register with the pin I 18 to permit said pin to emerge from the interior of the carrier, such pin reentering the carrier through the slot I84 as the carrier moves rectilinearly toward the right.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a fixed base, a work carrier movably supported on said base and slide and guide means provided by said carrier and base, respectively, and cooperating to establish a movement path for said carrier relative to said base, said guide means comprising a substantially rectilinear guide abutment means fixed relative to said base, a guide element of circular cross section upstanding from said base upon an axis spaced from said guide abutment means and transverse relative to the length of said abutment means, and at least one pin upstanding from said base upon an axis spaced from said abutment means and from said guide element and parallel with said guide element axis, and said slide means including a continuous perimetral surface on said carrier slidably engageable with said abutment means, a continuous surface paralleling said first-named surface and uniformly spaced therefrom in the direction of the center of said carrier, and engaging said guide element when said perimetral surface engages said abutment means, and a plurality of slots, each opening through the lower surface of said carrier and. extending between said perimetral surface and said second-named continuous surface to pass said pin as said carrier rotates about the axis of said roller, said pin engaging said second-named continuous surface at times to assist in establishing said carrier movement path.

2. The device of claim 1 in which certain of said slots constitute extensions of adjacent portions of said second-named continuous surface.

3. The device of claim 2 in which another of said slots is spaced from a short-radius curved section of said second-named continuous surface and lies in an arc of a circle concentric with such curved section and having a radius equal to the distance between the axes of said guide element and said pin.

4. The device of claim 1 in which at least one of said slots is spaced from a short-radius curved section of said second-named continuous surface and lies in an arc of a circle concentric with such curved section and having a radius equal to the distance between the axes of said guide element and said pin.

5. The device of claim 1 in which each of said continuous surfaces takes the form of the outline of a semi-circular disc.

6. The device of claim 1 in which each of said continuous surfaces takes the form of the outline of a quadrangle.

7. The device of claim 1 in which each of said continuous surfaces takes the form of the outline of a triangle.

8. The device of claim 1 in which said carrier is provided with a third continuous surface paralleling said second-named continuous surface and uniformly spaced therefrom in the direction of the center of said carrier by a distance substantially equal to the diameter of that portion of said guide element engaging said second-named continuous surface.

9. The device of claim 8 in which each of said continuous surfaces takes the form of the outline of a semi-circular disc.

10. The device of claim 8 in which each of said continuous surfaces takes the form of the outline of a quadrangle.

11. The device of claim 8 in which each of said continuous surfaces takes the form of the outline of a triangle.

HARRY A. LANG. ROY M. GRAVES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 670,636 Hobbs Mar. 26, 1901 976,388 Meyer Nov. 22, 1910 2,436,401 Petersen Feb. 24, 1948 

